Race #1 of 2015

I am not a morning person, yet I got up this morning at 7am and drove to Coronado for the first race of the year. The New Me 5K. Last year I decided to run at least one race per month, working my way up to the Tinkerbell 10K in May and possibly a half marathon before the end of the year. I struggled finding a babysitter for Birdie but at the last minute when I told her what I was doing, she said she wanted to go. So she ran/walked with me and I was extremely proud of her. You find all types of people at these kinds of races and I adore every one of them for making such a beautiful change in their lives. 

Don't forget to donate to my charity for the Tinkerbell Race. You can find a link on the side of the blog and every single dollar counts! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!

Happy Blogging. 

Vilnius, Lithuania

If you haven't already noticed, I don't necessarily do post according to the day that they happen. If that was the case, there would be about 40-50 photos a day. I also haven't posted in the last week and a half. Why? Because around a week ago, I arrived back from Europe.

I have run a few errands in my time back, like cutting my hair, buying new shoes, helping a friend move, getting a new license and finally getting a PO box for the nomad within in me. But really, I have wanted to spend the days back by sleeping and recuperating from everything I experienced overseas. 

Many people have asked "how was your trip?" And I reply with "it was very beautiful but very emotionally exhausting." Not exhausting as in "I'm tired from all the walking and the cold weather", cause that I can handle. That doesn't even bother me. I've tried to keep the details to only a few close individuals but really, I think the only people that can understand what I mean are the ones that went on the trip with me. 

Its one thing when you are learning about the prejudice against a group of people but when you are in the exact places where they were murdered, where their culture is still holding on by a string, when you realize there are still bodies beneath the ground you are walking on, well that is a lot to handle and as much as I am grateful to the professors that planned everything, we didn't necessarily get a lot of time to deal with the things we saw until near the end of the trip. 

I've wanted nothing but to cuddle with puppies and cats. I haven't wanted to watch any films that deal with gore, violence or death. I've been enjoying eat healthy again and having the people I need to talk to around me. But alas, I am back and I still have plenty of photos from the trip. Over the last two weeks, I probably took around 2000 photos. And that doesn't include the photos I have taken when I got back (your usual cat photos). 

I hope everyone is having a great summer and I can't wait to share the rest of mine with all of you. 

Happy Blogging!

Happy April Fools Day/Goals for this month

Am I the only one who is ready for this day to be over? 

Granted, I was only "pranked" by three people but whenever it happened I thought "jeeze, I do not have the time to deal with this right now." I do have a sense of humor but it tends to be more on the clever/subtle side where I only get a few intelligent laughs (i've been compared to having the attitude of the character Juno). Maybe next year when I'm dealing with a ton of transitions, I'll be a more light-hearted about this so-called "holiday." 

On a more optimistic note, its the beginning of the month! Usually that means paying rent and then being broke for 30 days but I realized I hadn't made any goals for myself lately so I thought, why not make a few for the month. 

1. Run more (about 3-4 times a week). Its not like I'm starting running or I never run but I'm always happier when I do run. It puts me in a better mood, gives me a slight boost of energy in my day and makes me feel better about my body. But lately because of the stress, I've been only running 1-2 times a week and then taking a week and a half break. Not good. 
2. No more candy or chips! I've been meaning to do this for a while. I eat a lot of candy and it doesn't do any good at all. I'm showing my daughter that its okay to eat junk food. Not good. It ruins my teeth. Not good. It's bad for my body and my mood. NOT GOOD. It hit me while I was picking a snack in the store. I don't worry too much about eating healthy all the time, sometimes its good for a break. So I thought about getting a salad but I saw these popcorn chip type things and I thought, "that looks good, I'll try it." So I put my salad back and bought the chips and I regretted it. It wasn't like I got sick or that they tasted bad. I just felt like I had made the wrong choice and from that point on I thought, something needs to change. 
3. Be more creative! My creative projects such as art, music and photography has taken a bit of a back seat since I transferred to university but I forgot how much my art balances me out! Every time I get back into the groove, just like running, I remember why I did it in the first place. I need to put myself out there. 

A year ago, I remember realizing that it doesn't help to put a wall around yourself. Of course, protect yourself from getting hurt but sometimes, its good to take risks and be a little vulnerable. It makes you stronger in the long run. Lately, I've forgotten this and have just wanted to shut everyone out but how does that help anyone? 

Make some goals and share. 

Happy Blogging!

Day Four Running Streak

Miles total: 8.95 

Despite it being only day four, I feel optimistic and a ton of a lot better about myself. I notice my skin is clearer, my face is brighter, my body is getting more toned. Not that my weight fluctuates but I'm getting the body I once had when I started running and it altogether makes me feel better about myself. Janice has been keeping her end of the deal as well which makes me feel better. 

The worse part is not the actual running. Like I said, one mile is a pretty easy thing to do. But its getting up from a nap or in the morning or before i go to bed or practically anytime. Usually whenever I have a chance to rest (no work, no classes, no daughter) then I spend it being lazy. Sleeping, reading, watching tv, eating food. So why the hell would I go run? 

But I have kept up so far running everyday and on day three I decided just a mile and I ultimately felt better about myself. So I see good things happening. 

Happy Blogging. 

For the Month of December

I'm not very good at pacts, cleanses, detoxes, or any sort of plan that requires a certain amount of self control. 

I've done it. I've accomplished it. That doesn't mean I'm good at it. But what ultimately makes it easier and provides more motivation is when you do it with someone. This is actually how I achieved the master cleanse, when I did it with a friend. This is where Janice comes in...

Janice is my best friend who I met when I was living in Redding, CA with my parents. We bonded over a love for eating healthy, being vegetarians and our obsessive love for biking. We even have the same birthday (except born a year apart). The last summer we both lived in Redding, we spent almost every waking moment together (and sometimes sleeping moments). We would bike all over Redding averaging at least 30 miles per day. I became a regular at her house. We took road trips to Chico and Portland. When we werent together, we would text how we missed each other. It was kind of sickening how close we bonded in a small amount of time. And then she went to college in Sacramento and I went to San Diego to start a new life.

When we both lived our separate lives, we still talked to each other. Janice was exploring Sacramento, started a new relationship and was having a great time at school. I was getting use to where I was living and starting school again and deciding what I wanted to do with my life. Thats when we started running. 

Janice has lost a significant amount of weight because she made a change in her lifestyle with her eating habits. She is even a nutrition major now. But with a start in a new place, Janice wanted to start running to add to her healthy regime. And I wanted to start running because it was the one thing I hated most and I wanted to conquer my fear. We both went at it different ways but ultimately it was once again something that connected us, even though we were so far away. Even though we don't run 3-4 times a week like we did when we started, we still run and consider ourselves runners. 

So why do I bring this up? 

Because of this article HERE, I decided I wanted to do a running streak for the entire month of December. In the article, a man talks about his experience with a running streak from Thanksgiving day to New years. Even on days when a blizzard is out, the goal was at least ONE MILE (thats about 10 minutes of running for me). He said after he got a flow going, it ended up being just a part of his life. I thought this would be a good way to start December, end the semester and begin the new year. 

So I asked Janice to do it with me since she's my partner in crime when it comes to running. Honestly, I expected her to be nice about it and say "I want to but I'm so busy. But I'll cheer you on." Instead this happened...

And so I write to inform those that read this blog is 

I'M DOING A RUNNING STREAK! 

I encourage everyone to do some sort of exercise streak but for now, I'll just blog about my experiences. Even when I started running, I was still taking about 2 rest days per week and I wasn't running for 25 minutes constantly. So lets see what happens. I'll update on Janice as well. 

On a side note, when I visited my friends/bandmates in San Diego a few weeks, one of my bandmates told me he started reading my blog. This horrified me. This was the bandmate who started the band, writes the lyrics and is a lawyer. And i'm still in school. I was a little embarrassed that he read my antics about trying to do a cleanse but grateful someone read it at all. So this post is dedicate to Tony, if you're still reading this blog.

Happy blogging. 

Day Three

How I'm feeling: 

(defeated)

So day three was a total relapse. Not the relapse like "I'm hungry - go out and buy a bunch of veggies and fruits" relapse but the "I'm having a stressful day - go out and buy a bunch of candy" relapse. This time I do feel bad. I had midterms that I was really nervous about, missing family, had a lot on my mind like always, plus I was hungry. 

I haven't been starving myself. 

But I also have not been eating what my body is telling me it wants. So around the end of my literature midterm, my hand was in incredible pain because it started cramping towards finishing and then when I turned it in my professor told me I had to write it all over again...in pen. I was about to cry by the time I was ACTUALLY finished. Plus I had to go home to read two chapters in my text book and then write a review. Something due in the morning. 

So I said "fuck it." 

Went to the school store, bought some sour candy and some fig newtons and went to town while watching "the walking dead" when I got back to my apartment. And it felt really satisfying but I felt like maybe I ruined my whole experience. No i'm not proud of what I did but this does not mean I'm quitting. I fell off the wagon and then I got back on. 

In other news...

I have been noticing small changes. My energy is still the same but I think that may be the result of bad sleeping patterns. Changes I have seen is I'm looking slimmer, particularly in my legs. This is most likely because even though I've been doing the cleanse for a few days, I bike everywhere so my legs are getting healthier. I also live in a third-floor apartment which probably contributes some. I've also been noticing my skin is looking better. I've struggled with skin problems as long as I can remember but I've always notice once I start eating a majority of fruits and veggies, my skin clears up fast. Its nice to not have to worry about my skin. Because of the relapse and because I'm starting to get use to only raw foods, I'm going to start running again this weekend. We will see how much it effects my body in terms of energy. If my body can't take it, then I'll put it off till after I'm done cleansing. 

Happy Blogging. 

photos by Taylor McCutchan and The Mexican Cannibals Are Coming Tumblr 

Day Two

How I'm Feeling: 

(Not hungry but not satisfied) 

Day two was average. I could eat any fruit or vegetable I wanted, which was great but I also wasn't eating anything I craved. I craved salt and sugar. A nice big burrito exploding with rice and lettuce was not to my advantage. But I ate everything fruit or vegetable I had left whether I thought I wanted it or not. 

I gorged on V8 vegetable juice. 

It was my one thing to go to, sorry to say, probably because of the amount of salt it had in it but how bad can vegetable juice be? I finished it off and had to go buy a new one. Did I notice any changes? No. I had the same amount of energy. Did I feel awful such as symptoms of withdrawal? No but I don't expect that to happen for the next couple of days if everything goes according to plan. So day two was uneventful but I expect it to get worse or better as time goes on. 

Happy Blogging. 

Day One

How I'm feeling: 

(hungry)

The plan was to fast for 24 hours meaning I would eat nothing and drink nothing except water for 24 hours. I was planning on doing this because when I read about proper ways to detox, most websites (not the most credible of information) suggested this, mostly to let your body get a jumpstart on the process. 

I made it about 15 hours before caving. 

Do I feel bad? Not really. That whole amount of time I was thinking how hungry I was and I was thinking about things I'm trying to avoid for the next two weeks like vegan sandwiches, cronuts, or shrimp spring rolls. You know you're a hipster when this kind of stuff is supposedly your junk food. I was literally about to say "Fuck it, I lasted 12 hours. Thats good enough." 

But I didn't. 

Yes I did cave in a sense but instead of going out, buying candy and locking myself in my bedroom like Golem, instead I went to the grocery store and bought $20 worth of fruits and vegetables along with my ultimate favorite item of lately, V8 vegetable juice. And then I gorged. 

On the way home, I ate an entire thing of raspberries. When I got home I drank two full glasses of vegetable juice and ate half a container of mushrooms and wrapped up my binge with a plate full of broccoli. 

Do I feel bad? A little...but not really. 

Its kind of like cheating on someone who abuses you or takes advantage of you. Yes, technically it is wrong but you don't feel that bad about it and no one around you does either. I'm not doing this raw food cleanse to lose weight but to DETOX. And even though I went a little overboard after not eating for 12+ hours, its not anything compared to only drinking maple syrup and lemonade for ten days. The fact that I can have any fruit or vegetable, any amount at any time is ultimately reassuring. Right now as I sit here, I have a container full of vegetables and vegetable juice right next to that. 

So day one did not exactly go how I planned. But I'm okay with that and I'm still continuing the cleanse. 

Happy Blogging. 

images used from google and my personal facebook 

The Cleanse

The first step to taking better care of my myself is to do a detox. So what exactly is a cleanse/detox? 

Google defines cleanse as:

"Rid (a person, place or thing) of something unpleasant, unwanted, or defiling."

Google defines detox as: 

"The process of removing toxic substances or qualities."

Many people have done detoxes/cleanses or in so many words, a fast. People such as Cesar Chavez and Ghandi fasted for weeks for political protests. Even though their body was very weak, they admitted to feeling pure and feeling enlightened. Many people do short fasting for religious reasons such as Buddhists, Christians, Catholics, Mormons, Taoist, and Jews. All of these instances are called fasts because the individual only consumes water and nothing else. This may be good for a day or two but anything beyond could potentially harm your body in the long run. 

But I'm not doing a fast. I'm doing a cleanse. 

But I mentioned fasts because it carries the same idea and common experiences. There are different types of cleanses: juice cleanse (only consuming juice), the master cleanse (only consuming lemonade and water), and the raw food cleanse. I am doing the raw food cleanse. 

I have done the master cleanse before where for ten days I consumed only water and lemonade that I made out of maple syrup, lemon juice and cayenne pepper. The lemonade was actually really good and I recommend anyone who enjoys lemonade to make it on any occasion. I probably could have done this cleanse a little better. I didn't drink enough of the lemonade and I probably wasn't getting enough calories (go figure). I ended up passing out twice in the last day (I did it for ten) and I never passed out before so I was a little confused why I was standing up and the next thing I knew was staring at the ceiling. You are also suppose to do a salt-water flush everyday to basically give you diarrhea but I just couldn't keep down a gallon of water that tasted like it came straight out of the ocean. Despite these mistakes, I found the cleanse to be overall enlightening. Around day 3, I found myself finding deep inner strength within myself to not eat donuts uncontrollably and I mean DEEP INNER STRENGTH. This cleanse was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done because even in high school when I had anorexic traits, I would still allow myself a cracker at the end of the day. Well not anymore. Around day 5 the feeling passed and even though I still thought about food, I thought about food in a different way. I thought about how to treat my body well. I thought about the benefits of food and what food did for me in other ways that just tasting good. I also felt a sense of calm, not exhausted or tired but calm. The next few days was smooth sailing. (I lost ten pounds in ten days but this actually was not the point when I started it so I wasn't upset when I gained it back in the next few months). 

I expect that even though a raw food cleanse won't be as aggressive, there will still be things in common. I expect around day 3-5, I'm going to feel like I'm starving. I'm hoping this won't happen as strongly as before since I will have an abundance of fruits and vegetables without a limit. But I can expect my body will crave sugar and salt and I'll still be looking at donuts like they are my holy savior. I also expect my body to go through withdrawal meaning I'll probably get migraines like I did with the master cleanse and feel extremely irritable and tired the first few days. But I hope towards the end, I feel enlightened once again or at least motivated to treat my body better. If you go through such an experience for ten days, the least you can do is use that time to stop a think about the treatment of your vessel for the rest of your existence. Little price to pay. 

The guidelines of my personal detox will include: 

1. Fruits and vegetables. The only thing is not to use spices, salts, sugar or dressing when eating these things. This will probably be the challenge for me since that is exactly what I do every time I eat fruit or vegetables. 
2. The first 24 hours will be fasting. Looking through many ideas through the internet, a
3. lot of sites suggested fasting for 24 hours to get a head start of the cleanse but this will count as Day 1 in my ten day cleanse. 
4. I was told not to gorge on anything like sugar or alcohol but actually slowly prepare my body for the cleanse by eating lots fruits and vegetables. I completely disregarded this knowing full well what I should be doing. And I ate everything like the world was going to end. I ate pie, donuts, pasta. In fact the only sort of nutrition I probably got was the vegetable juice I've been constantly drinking with the last two weeks and cooked broccolli sautéed with garlic salt which in fact my daughter choose for dinner (not me). I know I'm going to pay for this probably in the next 3-5 days. 
5. The freebie that I'm going to allow myself is V8 low sodium vegetable juice. This is not incredibly ideal since I'm going RAW to get the most nutrients but I don't have a juicer and even if I did, I would probably make disgusting vegetable juice. Even though there is some salt, I'm getting low-sodium to limit that amount and since I've been craving this stuff so much, I figure at some point, I'm going to want to cave and this will be my saving grace. Its not like I'm allowing myself green tea soda or anything. 
6. I will not be working out. I expect I'm going to feel weaker than I normally do and so running or lifting weights which take a lot of strength within me will probably be out of the question. I'll still be riding my bike around campus, possibly be doing yoga but I'm going to see this cleanse as a time to rest and heal my insides. 

Every day, I'll include a post about how I'm feeling emotionally and physically. Hopefully this will keep me on track but also show the small amount of readers and myself the process if anyone feels curious to see how shitty I feel or would like to consider a cleanse themselves.

Happy Blogging! 

Photos used from Google, Pinterest and my personal Facebook